Methods for electrodeposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020199768-A1
Application number	US-201916722237-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for electrodeposition using aqueous electrolytes where water molecules are depleted are described herein. Methods of electrodepositing superconducting thin films from aqueous electrolytes where water molecules are depleted are also described herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of electrodeposition, the method comprising:
applying an electric potential to a working electrode,
wherein the working electrode is in electrochemical contact with an aqueous electrolyte and the aqueous electrolyte is further in electrochemical contact with a counter electrode;
wherein the aqueous electrolyte comprises a solvate and a salt;
wherein the solvate comprises an alkali metal salt, an alkaline earth metal salt, a transition metal salt, an organic compound, or a combination thereof;
wherein the solvate has a concentration in the aqueous electrolyte of 1 mole per liter (M) or more;
wherein the salt comprises a metal, a metalloid, a nonmetal, or a combination thereof;
wherein the solvate and the salt are the same or different; and
wherein the solvate has a lower reduction potential than the salt when the solvate and the salt are different;
thereby reducing at least a portion of the salt in the aqueous electrolyte and electrodepositing a layer comprising the metal, the metalloid, the nonmetal, or combination thereof.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte has a decreased number of free water molecules than the corresponding aqueous electrolyte where the concentration of the solvate is less than 1 M.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method has a suppressed H + reduction and/or an improved power consumption compared to the corresponding method performed using the corresponding aqueous electrolyte where the concentration of the solvate is less than 1 M.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvate comprises an alkali metal salt comprising an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and combinations thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvate comprises an alkaline earth metal salt comprising an alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and combinations thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvate comprises a transition metal salt comprising a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, and combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvate comprises an organic compound comprising an element selected from the group consisting of sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, other non-metallic elements, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvate comprises an organic compound selected from the group consisting of choline, ammonia, an ammonium salt, imine, imide, fructose, glucose, sucrose, and combinations thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvate comprises ammonium acetate, ammonium chloride, ammonium formate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium thiocyanate, tetrabutylammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium sulfate, cesium acetate, cesium chloride, cesium formate, calcium chloride, indium chloride, lithium acetate, lithium chloride (LiCl), lithium formate, lithium thiocyanate, lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI), potassium acetate, potassium chloride, potassium thiocyanate, rubidium chloride, rubidium formate, sodium chloride, sodium formate, zinc chloride, choline chloride, fructose, glucose, mannose, sucrose, xylose, urea, thiourea, polyethyleneimine, polyethylene glycol, dioxime, dimethyl glyoxime, mercapto-propylsulfonate, saccharin, or a combination thereof.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the solvate is 5 M or more.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal, the metalloid, the nonmetal, or combination thereof comprising the salt is/are selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, and combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal, the metalloid, the nonmetal, or combination thereof comprising the salt is/are selected from the group consisting Re, W, Ru, Pd, Zn, Fe, Co, Mn, Se, Ni, Ga, As, Cu, In, Sn, Si, Ge, and combinations thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the salt has a concentration in the aqueous electrolyte of from 0.001 M to 1 M when the salt and the solvate are different.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrodeposited layer comprises Re, Mn, Nb, Si, Ge, Ga, Mo, Ru, ReW, ReRu, ReMn, ReFe, ReCo, ReNi, ReMo, PdZn, RuFe, RuCo, RuNi, RuMo, FeMn, CoMn, NiFeMo, FeCoMn, FeCoSe, NiFeSe, GaAs, CulnGa, CuInGaSe, or combinations thereof.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrodeposited layer has a lower amount of hydrogen incorporated therein, an improved morphology, an improved property, or a combination thereof compared to the corresponding electrodeposited layer resulting from the corresponding method performed using the corresponding aqueous electrolyte where the concentration of the solvate is less than 1 M.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte comprises water and an additional solvent, wherein the additional solvent comprises ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, glycerol, alkane diol, and combinations thereof.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applied electric potential is from −3 volts (V) to −0.2 V.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising annealing the electrodeposited layer at a temperature of from 100° C. to 2000° C.

19 . A sample comprising the electrodeposited layer made using the method of claim 1 .

20 . The sample of claim 19 , wherein the electrodeposited layer exhibits superconductivity.

21 . A method of use of the sample of claim 19 , the method of use comprising using the sample as a coating, in an electronic device, in a microdevice, in an aerospace device, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Univ Alabama

Inventors

• Huang Qiang

Classifications

• C25D3/54 Primary

  of metals not provided for in groups C25D3/04 - C25D3/50 · CPC title

• C25D3/12 Primary

  of nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• C25D5/627

  Electroplating characterised by the visual appearance of the layers, e.g. colour, brightness or mat appearance · CPC title

• C25D5/625

  Discontinuous layers, e.g. microcracked layers · CPC title

• C25D5/619

  Amorphous layers · CPC title